Safety razor



April 3, 1934- MURQS SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct. 24 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

INVENTOR r nn rfhxln nn nnn A rils, 1934. Mums 1,953,685

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct; 24 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR WWW.

Patented Apr. 3,1934

1.95:,oas v emu nnzoa Joseph Moron, Belmont, Mu... usl nor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Ma... a corporation of Delaware 1 Application October 24,

25 Claim.

This invention relates to safety razors .ofthe type in which a thin, flexible blade is held inshaving position between two blade-clamping members, such as a cap and guard. In such 5 razors as heretofore constructed, it has been the practice to disconnect the cap and guard and separate them entirely, or at least to displace them relatively so as to expose the bladesupporting face of the guard whenever it is 10 desired to remove or insert a blade. As distinguished from such constructions, the present invention contemplates a safety razor in which the cap and guard members are maintained at all times in their :normal superposed relation one above the other and connected so that they can not be disengaged without resorting to special disassembling steps, and in which the nature of the connection is such that a slotted or perforated blade may be moved edgewise into or out of position between the cap and guard members without disengaging them. In this manner, I produce a one-piece safety razor organization, that is to 'say,-a safety razor having no loose parts which may become lost or misplaced but in which, on the other hand, the cap and guard are always connected in their normal shaving relation. At the same time, the complete removal of the blade is made convenient since this is most satisfactory for cleaning and replacement purposes.

With these objects in view, an important fea: ture of the invention consists in the combination with blade-clamping members having between them a retainer with a shiftable point of connect-ion, of a slotted blade adapted to displace the retainer in passing edgewise into position between the blade-clamping members but without causing the retainer to disengage these members. Such a movable retainer may be provided with spaced engaging portions adapted to be brought successively into operative position and having an opening between them which permits the passage of a part of the blade, such for example, as a flexing hinge or other transversely-disposed portion.

The retainer or connecting element of my in vention may take various forms so long as it has an interrupted connecting portion, or spaced connecting portions, and so long as its connecting surfaces are shaped in moving, to impart little or no movement to the blade-clamping members it connects. As herein shown, the retainer is mounted for rotation or oscillation in one member and has two spaced and concentric segments which interlock with the other shown 1932, Serial No. 639,135

member. Thus, in the rocking'movement of the retainer its point or area of connection is shifted along its periphery and eventually from one segment to the other. This movement may be imparted to the retainer by contact with a portion of the blade which is itself temporarily interlocked with the retainer and passed through the latter in this condition and without disturbing the connection of the blade-clamping members.

A retainer or connecting element having a 5 curved periphery presents the advantage of supplying a rocking mounting for the cap and this is useful intwo respects. First, it allows the cap to conform evenly to the plane of the blade equalizing the clamping pressure thereon, and 7 to receive a portion of the blade and'advance it between the blade-clamping members. Blades with internal slots have been available heretofore but not in this novel combination and the slot has not heretofore been utilized to permit the passage of a movable retainer or connecting element between the blade-clamping members.

In a safety razor constructed in accordance with my invention the cap and guard appear to the casual observer to have an invisible connection since they are at-all times held in superposed relation, in closeproximity to each other, and yet the user may freely insert between them a blade of greater length and width than one of them These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the complete razor in condition for shaving;

Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale in central longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective on a still larger scale of a portion of the cap;

' Fig. 4 is a view in perspective on the same scale of the retainer;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the razor with the cap removed, showing a blade in shaving position;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross-section on the line ilI- -VI of Fig. 2; no

Fig. 'l is a view in cross-section on the line VII -VII of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on astill larger scale showing a portion of the cap and retainer;

Fig. 9 is a series of four views of the razor head in longitudinal section illustrating successive steps in the operation of inserting a blade and showing-the corresponding positions of the retainer;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view showing the cap and guard in cross-section in a position corresponding to that shown inthe second view of i 9;

. Fig. 11 is a view in longitudinal section illustrating modified forms of the handle, and

. Fig. 12 is a view in cross-section on the line !HIXII of Fig. 11.

The construction of the various elements of the razor will first be described in detail and then the manner of their assembly and their novel co-operative relation with each other and with theblade will be set forth.

The cap or blade-backing member 10 has a concave blade-engaging vface' bounded by straight, paralleL, longitudinal edges 11. It is slightly narrower and slightly longer than the blade with which it is to be used, as shown in Fig. 1. At one end, the cap is provided with a finger recess 12 and at the other end it is provided with a pair of downwardly projecting lugs 15 which serve to re-enforce the corners of the cap and also act as stops limiting the advancing movement of the blade when the latter is inserted in the razor, as will presently appear. The cap is provided in its inner or concave face with a centrally-disposed curved recess 13 provided with undercut side walls as best shown in Fig. 3. Also disposed in the longitudinal convex contour having longitudinally-disposed diameter. The barrel 32 of the handle surrounds this portion of the casing abutting against the shoulders over which the blade is bent by the edges 11 of the cap in the assembled razor. The guard is provided along its longitudinal edges with guard teeth 21 of the usual construction and it is also provided centrally with an elongated opening 22.- The blade-supporting face of the guard is provided with a short-blade-locating rib 23 having tapering ends and being located in registration with the slot 16 of the cap, and with a ball 24, located in registration with the circular recess 14 of the cap and mounted so that the blade runs freely in contact with it when the blade is being inserted, the blade being guided thereby and'maintained centrally of the razor.

The handle of the razor is attached to the guard 20 and includes a rectangular casing 30, tapering downwardly away from the guard-and secured thereto in registration with the centrally-disposed opening 22 already mentioned.

' The casing 30 terminates at its outer or lower end in a hollow circular stem having an exterior shoulder 31 and a projecting sleeve of reduced shoulder 31 and being permanently secured to the stem. Within the lower end of the barrel 32, is rotatably mounted a cylindrical nut 33. having a shoulder against which bears the lower end of the barrel 32. The nut 33 is provided with a circumferential groove into which extends a retaining pin 34 which projects across one side of the interior of the barrel 32 and serves to retain the nut 33 against longitudinal displacement while permitting it to be freely rotated.

A spindle 36 is mounted .for limited longitudinal movement within the handle of the razor, being guided at its upper end in a bore in the stem of the casing 30 and having an intermediate shoulder 37 beyond which projects a threaded reduced shank 38. Upon this threaded shank 38 the cylindrical nut 33 is threaded. The shank 38 passes into a recess in the end of the nut 33 where it is provided with an overhanging stop screw 39 which permits a limited endwise movement of the spindle with reference to the nut 33 but prevents complete disengagement thereof.

At its upper end, the spindle 36 is forked and provided with a transverse pivot pin 41 upon which is rotatably mounted a disk-like retainer or connecting element 40, best shown in Fig. 4. The retainer 40 has a flanged, circumferential rim portion of the same radius of curvature as the curved recess 13 of the cap and divided by acircular notch 43 into two segments 44 and 45 of substantially equal length, each being about in length. Each of these segments.44 and 45 is terminated at its outer end by a. notch 46, the walls of which define an intermediate portion 4''! of the retainer, and themselves act as cam surfaces in co-operation with a spring plunger 48 mounted in an axial pocket opening into the forked end of the spindle 36 and normally pressed against the edge or rim of the retainer by a compression spring 49.

The razor herein disclosed is adapted for use with slotted blades of various designs, one of which is shown in Fig. 5. The blade 50 is of thin, flexible steel sharpened on its opposite edges for shaving and provided with a longitudinal slot 51 located inthe longitudinal axis of the blade and provided with local enlargements for purposes of identification or of locating the blade in razors of different construction from that herein shown. The blade is provided at each of its comers with a reentrant notch or recess 52 and these define a centrally-disposed, elongated, unsharpened portion of the blade at each end thereof and these portions act as flexing hinges when the blade is clamped between the cap and guard. The width of these hinges is slightly less than the width of the notch 43 in therim of the retainer 40.

In assembling the razor, the cap 10 is tilted to such an'angle that one end of its curved recess 13 may he slipped over the concentric segment 44 of the retainer and then the cap is swung about the axis of the pin 41 into a position at right angles to the spindle 36. The spindle is then passed through the guard and into the handle, and finally the retaining pin 34 and the stop screw 39 are inserted, thus completing the construction and retaining the razor parts as an assembled unit and in condition for use. The razor remains in this condition unless special steps are taken to disassemble it. Y

It will be noted that the engagement of the ,fianged segment 44 of the retainer with the curved recess 13 of the cap furnish a rocking connection so that while the spindle 36 occupies its elevated position. as shown for example in the four views of Fig. 9, the cap 10 is free to rock about the axis of the pin 41. Inasmuch as the cap is cut away at its right-hand end, as shown in the drawings.

1,oss,ess

occurs at the right-hand end or the end of the razor opposite from the reentorcing lug 15. This is important-because it is from the right-hand and the cylindrical nut 33 and end of the razor that the blade is-introduced. Having nowconnected the cap and guard by entering the segment of the retainer in the curved recess of the cap, the two maybe moved bodily toward and from release an interposed blade by turning the nut 33 and moving the spindle 36 longitudinally on the handle. The-approaching movement of the cap guard is'limited by the engagement of the shoulder 37 oi. the spindle with the inner end of the separating movement or the cap and guard is limited by the engagement of the screw head 39 with the inner wall of the recess in the nut 33. The separation of the cap and guard when clamped together is about 3/1000 of an inch, .or slightly less than the thickness of the blade usually employed in the illustrated razor, and the separation of the cap and guard when the. screwis fully released issuflicient to permit the blade to assume its normal unflexed and flat position'between the two.

"nowbe described.

Fig. 9 and remembering that the cap 10 and Having now disclosed the detailed construction of the'various parts of the razor and the order of inserting and removing a blade and oi establishing the'shaving position of the parts will Referring to the first view in the guard are separated to such an extent that the blade may be inserted between them, in I its normal flat condition, it will be seen that the user is free to push the slotted blade 50 endwise, moving from right tolei't, into the space between the cap and guard and that the short curved rib I 23 will tend to center'the blade by engaging with blade is suflicient to the pin 41 and inf-this movement the wall of its slot 51 alter the flexing hing'e passes over the rib. The blade is advanced without obstruction until its end encounters the inner wall oi the circularf'r'iotch 43 in the retainer 40.

and this position is indicated in the first view of Fig. 9. A slight endwise pressure upon the the cam notch 46 actsto depress the spring plunger 48, the latter a slight retarding effect to the rotationbi the retainer. The circular notch 43 is of sumcientsize, as already noted. to receive the flexing hingeht the advanc-.

freely I ing end of the blade, that is to say, the material of the blade included between its end and the end of itsslot 51. The second viewin Fig. 9

shows the flexing hinge of the blade as fully received within the notch 43 or the retainer. In

this position theaetionoi the spring plunger is to snapor retainer ahead until the plunger isi'ully 7 seated in themes, as shown in the i'ourthview this end of the 1' H1. sigma in mnged'segment44'iscarried beneaththe phase! wardly through each other to clamp or.

m which these parts are assembled, the manner rock the retainer 40 upon notch adjacent to the flanged segment 44,

. the joperator may conveniently the bladewhiletheflangedsegment45passesupgages the cap 10. The'user is thereupon tree to continue the advancing movement of the blade, moving its forward end over the ball 24 which acts as an anti-friction bearingfor the e of the flexing hinge of the blade and then, by

entering-the 'slot 51, co-operates with the rib 23 the blade. The advancing movement of the blade is continued until the recesses in centering 52 of its forward end engage with the downward ly projecting lugs 15 of the cap. These lugs act as gages which determine the proper endwise position of the blade between the cap and guard. Having moved the blade to this position, the

the slot'51 oi the blade and enuser may now rotate, the nut 33 to move downwardly the spindle 3,6 and with it the cap 10, thereby flexing the interposed blade upon the convex face of the guard. By turning the nut 33 to move the cap 10 to the limit of its movement, maximum curvature is imparted to the blade and this corresponds to a position of minimum exposure. If desired, a slight releasing movement may be imparted to the nut 33, thereby separating the cap and guard .and permitting the blade slightly to flatten and increase its edge exposure.

It will be. noted that when the spindle 36 .is elevated, the cap 10 is freely suspended upon the curved segment 44 of the retainer and such friction as is developed by the movement of thesegment in the curved recess is due only to the weight of the cap. In practice, this negligible. The retainer 40, moreover, is of light weight and substantially balanced construction so that a very slight force is required to swing it. Accordingly, the retainer is controlled by the in itsinitial position, slightly retarded during its initial swinging movement I and then automatically snapped ahead in such a manner that it tends to draw the blade forwardly and into the has proved to be spring plunger 48, being held yieldingly thereby razor. It will be noted, further, that at no time is the retainer disengaged from the cap, but that the blade, or a portion of the blade passes through the interlocked retainer while the latter continuously connects thecap and guard. In the initial and final position 01' the retainer, the flanged segment 44 or 45 engages the full length otthe curved recess 13 of the cap. This is particularly important in the final position of the retainer when the blade has been fully inserted and .the

cap and guard are to be. moved together under the cap 10 drawn down upon the blade 50 so that it is flexed upon the face. of the guard. When it is desired to remove the blade ior purposes of cleaning or replacement, the nut 33 is turned reversely and the spindle 36 lii'ted until the head or the stop screw 39 engages the nut. In this position, the cap 10* is held elevated or spaced from the guard, as shown in Figs. 9' and 10., and

grasp the righthand end of blade'at the land 25' and withdraw it' toward theright. In inns. p ration, the flexing'hinge at the leftfinger notches 12 hand end of the razor will again engage the inner wall of the notch 43 of the retainer while the latter occupies the position indicated in the lower view of Fig. 9. Continued outward movement of the blade rocks the retainer in a reverse direction and the action of the spring plunger 48 is finally to snap the retainer in a clockwise direction back to its initial position, as indicated in the first view of Fig. 9.

The blade 50 herein shown is symmetrical in its end contours and on this account it may be inserted in the razor with either end in advance or with either face uppermost. In other words, the

construction permits the insertion of the blade when reversed end for end, or face for face, or

reversed in both senses.

The rotary or oscillatory retainer 40 is interlocked with the cap 10 at all times although its effective point or area of connection is progressively shifted whenever the retainer is moved. The interlocking engagement of the flanged segments 44 and 45 with the cap is interrupted by the circular notch 43 which is of exactly the proper dimension to receive the flexing hinge member of the slotted blade and to move freely about this part of the blade during the insertion or removal thereof. During the entire movement of the retainer 40 the notch 43 is located in the flexing hinge of the blade should be greater than the diameter of the notch 43, this particular form of interlocking co-ordination of the two would not be possible but that the retainer would catch upon the blade and prevent it from being moved beyond the retainer. It is also important that the slot 51 of the blade should be of sumcient width to receive freely the flanged segments 44 and 45 of the retainer. In. addition to permitting the passage of the oscillatory retainer 40, the slot 51 of the blade cooperates with the guiding ball 24 and guiding rib 23 to center the blade properly with respect to the retainer.

In the modified form of handle shown in Fig.

-11, the stop screw 39 is omitted and a spring clip 54.employed for holding the spindle 36 in its assembled position. The spring clip 54 is provided at its upper end with a sleeve portion arranged to be pressed into position within the barrel 32 of v the handle and thus serving to retain the clip in place. It has also a longitudinally-disposed leaf portion which terminates in a transverse perfoleaf of the spring clip and this extends outwardly through an aperture in the barrel 32. By pressing the leaf inwardly through this knob, the collar 55 of the spring clip may be moved into a position concentric with the threaded stem 38 and in this position the stem may be moved upwardly and disengaged from the nut 33 when so desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-- g

' 1. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members having between them a retainer with a shiftable point of connection. and a slotted blade adapted to displace said retainer in passing edgewise into position between said members while the retainer maintains the members continuously engaged.

2. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members, a retainer pivotally mounted inone member and having distinct engaging portions adapted to engage the other member separately or simultaneously according to the position of the retainer.

3. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members, a retainer pivotally mounted in one member and having a circumferentially disposed face engaging the other member and having a gap therein of insufiicient width entirely to disengage said clamping member when the retainer is swung on its pivot.

4. A safety razor comprising co-op'erating blade-clamping members, an interposed blade,

and a movable retainer for connecting said members arranged to be displaced by the blade .itself as the latter is moved edgewise between said clamping members and to maintainthem connected throughout such movement of the blade.

5. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members, an interposed slotted blade, and a movable retainerfor connecting said members and having engaging portions spaced to receive the end of the blade oppositejits slot as the latter is inserted between said clamping tween and connecting said members and having spaced engaging portions arranged to overlap in their connecting function.

8. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members, a curved retainer mounted in one member and being received in a recess of concentric curvature in the other member, and means for bodily moving said retainer to clamp or separate said members.

9. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members. a movable connector between them having an opening of predetermined dimensiomand a blade having anoperating portion of correspoiding dimension arranged to enter said opening and move said connector in passing into. position between said members.

10. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members, a movable retainer connecting said members and having an openingin its periphery of predetermined dimension,..and a slotted blade having a flexing hinge at one end of a dimension to fit in said opening as the blade is moved endwise between said members.

11.- A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members, a movable .retainer at all times connecting saidmembers, a slotted blade.

with symmetrical end contours, and a stop on one of said membersfor engaging the blade as the latter is moved endwise between said members to register its slot with respect to said retainer.

12. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members disposed in superposed relation, a retainer connecting said members at all times and having a blade-engagingjportion, and spring means for moving the retainerto-advance the blade toward shaving position between said members.

13. A safety razor. comprising cap-and guard members having movable interlocking'connectingmeans therebetween, and a blade shaped to coact with said means and to pass through the same while the cap and guard members are uninterruptedly connected.

'14. A safety razor comprising cap and guard members having movable interlocking connecting means therebetween, a blade having a slot and. a transverse portion shaped to move said means in passing through the same, and a guiding projection located in line with said interlocking means and co-acting with the slot of the blade to guide the latter into position as it is advanced between the cap and guard members.

15. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members with opposed faces shaped to guide a thin blade for movement between them, a rotatable connecting element between said members having an' opening therein, and a blade having a transversely-extending portion shaped to be received in said opening, the connecting element being moved by the blade to shift its effective point of connection with one of said members while the said opening is maintained at all times in the plane of the blade.

16. A safety razor comprisingv a cap having a concave blade-shaping face provided with a curved recess, a guard having a co-operating'convex blade-shaping face, a rotary connecting element having its periphery concentric-with the curvature of the cap recess and arranged to interlock therewith and having also a notch in its periphery, a slotted blade having a portion shaped to enter said notch, means bodily moving said connecting element with the cap to flex the blade between the cap and guard to release it, and means for limiting such movement of the connecting element.

17. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-clamping members having between them a retainer with a shiftable point of connection and a peripheral gap, a thin slotted blade having a transverse flexing hinge of less width than said gap adapted to engage in said gap and displace said retainer in passing edgewise into position between said members while the retainer maintains the members continuously connected in position to apply external support on both sides to the cutting edges of the blade.

18. A safety razor comprising co-operating blade-shaping members having between them a retainer with a shiftable point of connection, an

apertured blade adapted to displace said retainer in passing edgewise and in flat condition into position between said members while the retainer maintains them continuously connected, and means for moving the retainer to draw said members into blade flexing relation.

'19. A safety razor comprising co-operating clamping members maintained at all times with their blade-engaging faces in opposed relation, and a movable retainer having spaced connecting portions adapted to be brought successively into connecting relation between the clamping members.

20. A safety razor comprising co-operating clamping members maintained at all times with their blade-engaging faces in adjacent and opposed relation, and a movable retainer mounted in one member and having separate connecting portions adapted to be successively brought into connecting relation with the other member.

21. A safety razor having clamping members withblade-engaging faces shaped to impart a transverse curvature to a flexible blade clamped between them, and a retainer arranged to maintain said members at all times with said bladeengaging faces in proximity to an interposed blade and substantially parallel thereto, said retainer including spaced connecting portions and being movable to render first one portion and then the other operative.

22. A safety razor comprising clamping members having co-operating blade-engaging faces and being maintained at all times with said faces in opposed relation and in proximity to an interposed blade, and a connecting device upon which the upper one of said clamping members is balanced for limited free movement to facilitate the interposition of a blade.

23. A safety razor having co-operating clamping members between which is adapted to be clamped a blade having a closed elongated aperture, said clamping members having a movable clamping connection between them which is displaceable by the blade itself to permit the blade to be advanced longitudinally into operative porition between the clamping members, while the latter are retained in connected superimposed relation, by breaking the connection in front of the advancing end of the blade and simultaneous- 1y remaking it through the elongated aperture.

24. A safety razor having cooperating blade supporting members between which is adapted to be clamped a blade having a closed positioning slot therein, and means whereby said members are at all times connected comprising a peripherally mutilated oscillatory retaining piece which bridges the spacebetween the opposed faces of the blade-supporting members, whereby an endwise sliding movement of the blade into interposed position'between the supporting members displaces the retaining piece so-that it is passed through the slot of the blade and the connection of the retaining piece with one supporting member is shifted to either side of the peripheral mutilation therein.

25. A safety razor having clamping members shaped to impart transverse curvature to an interposed flexible blade, a rocking connecting piece interposed between said members and making engagement with one member along a line concentric with its axis, and means for bodily mov- 

